My Child
by ToffeeRose
Summary: Away from Gotham the child grows. But the Past is never on to be left behind for long. After all you can't choose your family. One use of strong language.
1. New Home

**Preceded by 'The Joker's Daughter' and 'Dutiful Daughters'.  
>I don't own Gotham City or Batman or The Joker. Please R&amp;R<strong>

New Home

Aceie looked out at the small house from the driver's seat of the silver car _Is this the best Moroni could do?_ She thought, stepping out of the car and directing the removal van onto the drive. The house was two storeys high, covered in a cream coloured render and had a small flower filled front garden surrounded by a sage green picket fence. _I suppose it could be worse _She applied a little more foundation on her cheek, without the red paint that had once accentuated it her scar, as long as she applied enough makeup was not as pronounced as it once was. Aceie gathered her one month old son into her arms "Here we are Jack, our new home, much better than that horrible flat eh?" Planting a kiss on her child's forehead, she unlocked the door which matched the fence and supervised the unloading of the boxes _All brand new, but these people won't know that._

Ten months had passed since the last news item on the Ace of Hearts, many people assumed she had either left the country or was dead, whatever they thought people had blotted her out of their minds. During that time Aceie had lived and given birth in secret, using her many underworld connections to fashion a new identity for herself. She was now Miss Rosie Spencer, mother of Jack Spencer.

Aceie bid goodbye to the removal men _Hope Moroni'll pay them __well _She sat on the front step, gently rocking her dozing son in the late afternoon air. Aceie's head filled with disjointed thoughts of Batman, nursery schools, gangsters and part-time jobs.

"Hello" A kindly voice called from the next garden, it came from a smiling lady of around twenty six. "Hi" She replied, the lady was dressed in old clothes and a straw gardening hat.  
>"I saw you unloading when I got back from shopping. It'll be nice to have someone living there, it's been too quiet since the Smiths moved away. If you need any help unpacking and getting organised, just ask, I'm Jessica by the way" Aceie smiled, she liked how Jessica chattered, she got up and walked to the fence "I'm Rosie" She noticed Jessica's eyes catching sight of her scar "I'm sorry Jessica said embarrassed, she turned her attention to Jack.<br>"And who's this handsome boy then?" Aceie beamed with motherly pride "This is Jack" Jessica fussed over the child but couldn't stop herself from looking at the ragged scar on her new neighbour's right cheek "I'm sorry for asking, but how?" Aceie smiled, in mock sadness "Don't be sorry, I've had people asking for months, I was in that big car smash, just before I realised I was pregnant" Crocodile tears trickled from her eyes "Harry wasn't so lucky" Jessica patted her sympathetically on the shoulder "Was he Jack's dad?" Aceie sniffed and nodded "We were engaged before the crash" "Oh you poor thing, I shouldn't have asked, please come round for some tea" Aceie shook her head "No I couldn't intrude" Jessica smiled "It's no trouble, get Jack's carrier and come over" Aceie did what she was told _I wonder what she'd do if she knew who I really was _She tucked Jack up in his Moses basket and looking fondly her new home _It really isn't that bad _walked with a spring in her step to her new neighbours house.


	2. Terrible Twos

**Preceded by 'The Joker's Daughter' and 'Dutiful Daughters'.  
>I don't own Gotham City or Batman or The Joker. Please R&amp;R<strong>

Terrible Twos

"Come on Jack, time to go to Auntie Jessica" The little boy grinned "Will Wory be there?" Aceie nodded, pulling his favourite red dinosaur jumper over his head and ruffling his dark hair "Yes Rory will be there" Rory was the Minett family's new dog, a brown mongrel with a lovely disposition "And so will Sally and Alan" These two were Jessica's three year old twins "And n'uncle Greg?" Pulling on her jacket Aceie nodded again "And Uncle Greg" Jack cheered and set off down the stairs one step at a time, she caught up with him and lifted him onto her hip "Down Mummy, wanna go down" "Only if you hold my hand outside He nodded "Ok" He talked all the way to Jessica's door which he knocked on. Jessica opened the door, Rory the dog grinning at her heels, Jack hugged his mum before going to the dog. Aceie smiled at him lovingly "I swear he loves that dog more than me, thanks for watching him" "No problem, he's a lovely kid, very bright, good luck at the interview, I know you'll get it though, best person for it by miles" Aceie smiled and waved goodbye to her wittering friend and drove to the town centre.

She pressed the buzzer for Wheelwright's design company "Hello?" "It's Rosie, I'm here for the interview "Ok, come up" The door clicked open and she trotted up the stairs two at the time, a tall man with greying hair welcomed her and lead her to the office "Well Miss Spencer I have read your CV and phoned your previous employers, who have given glowing reports of you" _They should have done, that's what I'm paying them for _"So I would be glad if you could start as soon as possible" Aceie gave him a glittering smile "Thank you, Mr Wheelwright, I can start now if you like" Her new boss smiled in return "That would be brilliant, you can do a half day" he handed her several sheets of figures "I need a spread sheet of profits and losses in the last five months"

Aceie set to work glad of the computer course she had taken while in hiding _Never thought I'd be working in an office . . .then again never thought I'd be a mum . . . never thought I'd leave Gotham _She let out a giggle _I didn't think about a lot did I?_

"Finished, Mr Wheelwright" He flipped through the neat printouts "Very well done" He checked his watch "Why don't you go to lunch, no point starting another project with only ten minutes to go" She swung her bag across a shoulder "Thank you"

Lunch passed without incident _I miss Gotham sometimes _She thought sipping coffee _There was always something happening but here . . . _She looked around the little café, the same faces in the same seat, eating and drinking the same things _It can get boring._

Two o'clock came round quickly and Aceie was soon walking up her neighbour's front path. Greg answered the door "Afternoon, I'll just get Jack" Aceie leant against the doorframe and breathed the scent of the daffodils on the hall table.  
>"Mummy!" Jack came charging towards her and hugged her knees. Aceie laughed and picked him up, she froze, his little face was white, his eyes surrounded by bright green and a scarlet smile smeared up to his ears. Greg reappeared holding his children by the hands "I'm sorry, they got into the face paints" The twin's drooped guiltily their faces painted various colours "I'm clown Sally's a rainbow, Alan's a race car" Chattered Jack in explanation, She started to laugh "Don't worry Greg, it'll wash off"<p>

The pair were soon in their own house, Aceie put Jack down, she felt tears in her eyes "Mummy" Jack gazed solemnly at his mother who looked down at him and began to cry "Don't be side Mummy" The little boy said, hugging her legs. Aceie smiled through her tears "I'm not sad Jacky" She knelt in front of him "And you shouldn't be either, always smile Jacky, remember that"


	3. School Days

**Preceded by 'The Joker's Daughter' and 'Dutiful Daughters'.  
>I don't own Gotham City or Batman or The Joker. Please R&amp;R<strong>

School Days

Aceie drank tea as her ten year old son crunched his cornflakes, telling her about a strange dream she had had the night before "I was standing in a city, think I was wearing a cape or coat or something, felt like my cheeks were on fire" She stared at her son as he traced a smile across his pale cheeks "Sounds scary" He shook his head "It felt like I'd been there before, like I was meant to be there" Aceie forced herself to be cheery "Strange you'd better get ready or the bus will go without you. Jack left the table and headed to the bathroom muttering "I think there was a bus in my dream"

Aceie giggled _Are you sending my son dreams Daddy? Or are you sending me signals? You want Jack to be my student like I was yours, is that it? _She sighed _Maybe he will, maybe he won't__. __  
><em>"Jack the bus is here"  
>"Coming" he grabbed his lunchbox "Love you Mum" And he was gone. Aceie watched the bus pull away <em>Do I want him to be like Daddy? He died because of who he was, but he was free . . . I have to see him<em>

Aceie got in the car and drove to Gotham, it took three hours of her day off, she was thinking all the time _I better keep off the street, people in Gotham have long memories _She parked in a secluded spot and walked a familiar hidden trail to the cemetery _He must have walked this way too. Don't __think__ about him _The grave was overgrown with weeds and moss  
>"Hey Daddy" She murmured "Long time no see" She set about cleaning the gravestone and read the poem once more.<p>

_He smiled in Life. He smiled in Death. A bullet took his final breath. The deck has been shuffled. The Ace has risen._

"The Ace rose and fell. I'm sorry Daddy, I'm a disappointment" She sat and cried. A voice broke into her silence "Are you alright Ma'am?" Aceie glanced behind her and saw a young vicar "I'll be fine in a moment Reverend" She searched her pockets for tissues "Here" He handed a crumpled tissue "I haven't used it" She mopped up her tears and he crouched on her left side "Were you close to this person?" "I don't want to talk about it" He nodded understandingly "My name is reverend Jackson" "Mary Johnson" He smiled "Well Miss Johnson, I was about to make some tea . . ." Aceie interrupted with a question "Reverend, If a child couldn't be what their parents wanted, does the obligation fall to the grandchild?" Reverend Jackson's brow furrowed as he thought "No, but if the grandchild wants to fill the obligation that is their choice" Aceie smiled, brushing the last of the weeds into the hedge, she stood up and brushed her trousers down "Thank you Reverend" She felt the handle of her knife against her leg, she thought of the lives it had taken, she had taken _It would be so easy toad another corpse to the pile _"If you like Miss Johnson I can keep this grave clear, until you are able to visit again" _Well done _She thought _You saved yourself without realising it _"Thank you Reverend, that will be lovely"

Aceie was busy preparing dinner when Jack came running into the kitchen "Mum look what I won today" She smiled as he displayed his new treasures won in marble games. A sparkly bouncy ball, a football key ring, a lollypop "This is the best prize, we can use it to complete that pack of cards in the draw" He laid the card on the table, it showed a double ended man wearing a crown "The King of Spades" She whispered, tightening her grip on the chopping knife involuntarily "Can I see it please Darling?" He handed her the card, a smile stretched across his lips "They say I'm the King of Marble" His face fell as she tore the card in half, he screamed at her "That was mine! You ruined it! It was mine!" He ran to his room and slammed the door shut "I hate you!" Aceie watched him leave and threw the card in the bin _He'll understand on day, he'll understand why that deck will never be finished._


	4. The Dart Game

**Preceded by 'The Joker's Daughter' and 'Dutiful Daughters'.  
>I don't own Gotham City or Batman or The Joker. Please R&amp;R<strong>

The Dart Game

"Happy 16th Jacky" She planted a kiss on her squirming son's cheek "Urgh! Mum get off" "You don't want your present then?" "I didn't say that" Aceie laughed a slid a small parcel wrapped in red paper across the table, Jack grinned showing his slightly pointed incisors _Just like his father _Jack had grown to be a spitting image of his father with his mother's emerald eyes, sometimes if the light was right, the shadow of a third face could be seen hiding in the wildness of his hair and dancing fire of his eyes. "Thanks Mum, you shouldn't have" He held a specially crafted set of darts, each one had black pointed flights and J.S. engraved on the silver point "Well those old ones are getting chipped and grubby" She took one from the wooden box "These are professional darts" She threw it and in landed in the hairline gap between two family photos, Jack smiled "Cool, will you teach me to do that?" Aceie laughed "Maybe later, you need to get ready for school" "Can I stay home?" He coughed melodramatically "I', not well" Aceie raised her eyebrows "I'd better cancel your party then" "I'm fine"

Jack walked with a spring in his step onto the school bus "Happy birthday Jack" "Thanks Matt, look what I got from Mum" "Brilliant" The darts were passed around and admired, Matt grinned "These are cool, why don't we test them at lunch? Us lot against Alan's lot?" Jack nodded "Sure" He looked around the bus "Kiya not in?" His friend Craig pitched in "I saw her getting a lift with Ryan" Matt grinned and ducked a playful swipe from Jack "Looks like you've got competiotion, she's a pretty dame that's for sure"

The bus pulled into school and Jack and his friends walked to form. Happy birthdays rang from all corners, Matt nudged Jack "Look its Kiya" Jack turned and jealousy flashed in his eyes. Ryan the school's current dart champion was lounging on a bench with Kiya, a dusky beauty and easily the prettiest girl in Jack's year some thought she was the best looking in the whole school and sixth form.  
>"Hey Kiya!" His friends hissed at him "What are you doing?" Ryan was two years older than Jack and at least a head taller than him, as well as being very possessive of what he thought was his. He lumbered to his feet and confronted Jack "What do you want Spencer?" Jack ignored him a moment and smiled at Kiya "You alright Ki? You weren't on the bus"<br>"I got a lift from Ryan" Jack grinned up at Ryan "Of course you did, how are you this fine day Ryan?" Ryan growled "None of your business" Jack shrugged and turned back to Kiya "Me and the guys are playing darts with Alan's lot this lunch, feel free to come watch" He started to walk away then looked back as if the idea had just struck him "You can bring Ryan if you want, though he may need the game explaining to him" Ryan stormed forward aggressively "What do you mean by that?" Jack was still smiling "I'm sorry, I just thought because you haven't played a match in a loooong time you'd forgotten how" A few giggles peppered the air, Ryan's ears turned pink "Careful Spencer or you might not be playing for a while" A teacher called at them from an open door "Get to form you lot, or you'll be late" The groups drew silently apart, Ryan glaring daggers at Jack putting his arm around Kiya's waist.

In form Craig shook his head in disbelief "I swear you have a death wish Jack, you saw how he put his arm round Kiya" Jack grinned "And you saw the way she was laughing behind her hand, she loves my jokes" Matt smirked "Yeah, regular Joker you are"

Lunchtime ticked round and Jack's group headed to the games room to play darts "You reckon Ryan'll show?" Jack shrugged, warming up his throwing hand "Who cares, I didn't invite him out right" Craig flicked hair out of his eyes "Maybe, but you invited a challenge, saying he can't play darts"  
>"Whatever, let's play"<br>"The game was a close one with Jack's team winning by a mere ten points. He and Alan shook hands "Good game mate, and happy birthday"  
>"Thanks, better luck next time eh?" Alan laughed "Next time we'll beat you by a hundred points" jack laughed packing his darts away.<p>

The bell rang and Matt, Craig and the others left for class. Jack paused in the game room contemplating skipping the afternoon lessons.  
>"Hello Spencer" He glanced up at the three figures that darkened the doorway.<br>"Well well, hello Ryan and friends, what can I do for you? Ryan walked towards him while his two minions guarded the door "Two things. Quit perving on my girl and drop your darts" Jack raised his eyebrow and grinned "I'm sorry I didn't realise Kiya wasn't a human being free to talk to whoever she wants, why such a smart girl is hanging round with you I don't know" Ryan growled dangerously, Jack ignored him "And as to dropping my darts, let me put it in terms you understand" He took a deep breath and said slowly "No. Fucking. Way."

A cruel smile crept onto Ryan's face "Thought you'd say that, get him" The minions advanced across the room with surprising speed, they were part of the school's weightlifting team. One of them held Jack in a chair while the other held hid dart hand on the table. The sound of a switchblade snapping open filled the room.  
>"This one is for looking at my girl" He dug the blade into Jack's thumb and dragged it through the flesh "This is for embarrassing me" Jack's grin stayed in his face through the slashing of his first finger "You don't need my help with that" Ryan smacked him round the face, splitting his lip "And this one is because I really really don't like you" He slowly slit Jack's palm from the top of his middle finger to the bottom. He gestured for the other to let him go and walked out, triumphantly calling back "Try throwing a dart now" Jack threw back "Give me a month Ryan and we'll see who's champion.<p>

A month later Jack won the school tournament with his left hand. And Ryan had a fatal car accident.


	5. Jack of Spades

**Final chapter :D Thanks once again for patience and for reveiws. Please R&R**

Jack of Spades

"We were talking about families in Sociology today" Jack said, studying the raised lines of his scars, they were almost three years old now. "Really? Interesting?"  
>"Yeah, but it got me thinking . . . about my family. Aceie looked at her son and smiled softly <em>It's time for him to know the truth <em>"Come with me, I'll give you the answers I can" Jack followed and watched his mum pull a cardboard box from the very back of the wardrobe and put it on the bed. "This is your family Jack, me, your father" _May he rot _"And my father, look though it alone, I'll answer questions when you're done"

Jack carried the box as carefully as a new born and placed on a hastily cleared space of his desk and opened it with shaking hands.

The first item was a thick leather bound scrapbook, the words Treasured Memories picked out in gold on the front. Jack opened the cover _Who the hell is that? _He thought, studying the photograph of a clown, then he realised that his was no ordinary clown _No, I thought he was just an urban myth _The town Jack had grown up had never been touched by the madness of Gotham but it knew the stories. Above the picture was the headline from The Gotham Times, 'The Joker Killings'. Jack slowly flicked through the book, taking in every article, every police report and witness statement, gradually they began to mention a second person. _The Ace of Hearts? Who is she? _He peered closely at the young girl's make up covered face. Suddenly the articles changed, The Ace was alone, the first few photos only showed a distant figure in purple _I don't know what these people have to do with me but its interesting reading_ Jack flipped over another page. A full colour picture of a woman of around twenty five years stopped his breath _No _He thought _It's not possible _his eyes took in every detail, the green eyes, the scarred cheek, the glitter of anarchy in the smile "No way!" He grabbed the photograph of that year's holiday and compared the smiling faces _It is! __My__ Mum __is .__ . . was The Ace of Hearts! _Realisation dawned _That means that The Joker is my __Granddad__! _This revelation made Jack laugh "No wonder I have such a twisted view of the world" He turned further ahead, The Ace was joined by three others _The King of Spades, The Nine of __Clubs__ and The Six __of Diamonds__._

The final article declared that The Ace had disappeared, along with The Six of Diamonds and that the Nine of Clubs and King of Spades were dead _Who is my Dad then? _He shut the book and rummaged around the rest of the box, he pulled out a white gown stained with blood _I wonder who's blood it is _He also picked up some Vote for Mayor Montess badges, along with numerous Joker and Ace of Hearts cards. And lovingly folded at the bottom was the legendary purple coat. He unfolded it with care, running his eyes over the neatly sewn rips and had cleaned stains. In one of the pockets was a pair of purple leather gloves and a switchblade with a silver heart on its handle _But who's my Dad? _

He put everything back in the box except for the coat and gloves which he carried to the living room. Aceie looked up from her book, she was glad that at first realising what the book signified he had not run out to phone the police "You okay Jack?" Jack nodded and sat beside her, placing the coat and gloves on her lap "Will you tell me about him?" Aceie stroked the coat tenderly "He was a good father, nothing he ever did can take that away from him. He was a product of his past like everyone else in the world." She felt tears in her eyes "He died in my arms when I was fifteen"  
>"How?" Aceie frowned angrily,<br>"He was shot by Jim Gordon"  
>"Who you killed" She nodded<br>"He had it coming anyway, the Mob wanted him dead" Jack looked at his mother and tried to imagine her killing a man "I found this as well" He handed her the switchblade. She snapped the old blade open and kissed it "He gave it to me for my fifteenth birthday, I made my first kill with this knife" She fell silent then placed the coat on Jack's lap "It's yours now" He got to his feet and pulled the coat about his shoulders, it fitted perfectly and felt like a second skin, another identity, a stronger identity.

"Who was my father?" A mixture a hatred, anger, sadness and love danced through his mother's eyes "I'm only telling you this because you want to know, he was a traitor, he had me locked in Arkham then thought he could win me back like that" She snapped her fingers "By helping me escape, I would have rather rotted in that cell than be with him" The words stung, all visions Jack had of his father vanished "But who was he?"  
>"He . . . was The King of Spades, or Mr Desspa, those were the only names I knew"<br>_The King of Hearts _He thought back to the police photo of the mutilated corpse "You killed him" He whispered "You killed my father!" He suddenly shouted. Aceie's eyes blazed "Yes! I killed him, but I loved him enough to make it quick. If I had hated him" She paused for breath then hissed "There wouldn't have been anything to identify him by"

Jack snarled and impulsively snatched up the knife from the sofa where it had fallen and held it to her mother's throat. Aceie laughed, the laugh that she had terrorised Gotham with "Go on then, Kill me, like my Dad killed his Father" Jack's hold on the knife wavered "As my Dad told me and many others 'Killing is making a choice, between one life or another" Jack threw the knife down "I'm not like you or him!"  
>"How did Ryan die Jack? Answer me that" Jack glared at his mother "In a car accident" Aceie scoffed "Don't deny it you have contacts and so do I, people who can remove obstacles" She picked up her knife, Jack looked at this woman, she looked like his mother but he could sense that The Ace of Hearts now stood before him, older, with more lines on her face but chaos still shone wildly in her eyes. She snapped the knife shut "I hoped you'd be the Jack of Hearts but I can see you're The Jack of Spades" With well-practised agility she plucked the card from the old deck she'd kept in the games drawer for nearly twenty years and dropped it at her son's feet. "Do what you want Jack, never let anyone tell you what to do"<br>That night a purple coated figure left the house and drove away from the sleeping street.

_A single family. A legend at its heart.  
>Sons have sons who perfect the art.<br>And chaos reigns._


End file.
